Container with cover lock



Feb. 10, .1959 P, D, FRlDAY 2,873,057

CONTAINER WITH COVER LOCK Filed March 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l o z [a ,4 7- 77:75 Men 5 Feb. 10, 1959 FRIDAY 2,873,057

CONTAINER WITH COVER LOCK Filed March 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NZ/E/\/ TUE PAUL D. FRIDAY ,4 TrQ/ NE V5 oon'ramnn wrrn covnn LOCK Paul it). Friday, Portland, Greg, 'assignor to Paper Maid, Ina, Portland, Greg, a corporation of Oregon Application March 29, 1955, Serial No. 497,608

7 'Claims. (Cl. 229--2.5)

This invention relates to improved containers or cartons, and more particularly relates to cover locking means therefor.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a container or carton having improved cover locking means which is simple in structure and operation and which is efiective in positively locking said cover on the body portion of the carton.

A further object is to provide improved cover locking means for a molded container which is molded as an integral part of said container and which comprises catch means adapted to move through and latch in a catch opening by resilient deformation of the material of the container.

A further object is to provide an improved paper carton and cover in which is embodied means adapted to be compressed or distorted while said cover is being moved into locked position and which means are expandible to original shape in fully locked position of said carton and cover.

The cartons illustrated herein are intended primarily for packaging and storing food articles, such as eggs and the like, and are preferably formed from paper pulp but it is to be understood that the cartons may be of other types and sizes and be formed of other materials. The invention principally resides in locking means for the carton and its cover comprising a novel catch member having a hollow tapered shape engageable in a catch opening. In one embodiment the catch member and opening therefor are aligned and are of such relative dimensions that in moving through said opening the catch member is temporarily deformed and upon passing through the opening, the catch member substantially reassumes its original shape and is locked behind a wall of the opening to form a positive locking joint between the cover and body of the carton. In another embodiment a portion of the carton or cover is distorted to move the catch member freely through a misaligned opening and is held in locked position by spring tension caused by elastic deformation of a portion of the carton or cover.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrates preferred forms of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may take still other forms and that all such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims which will occur to persons skilled in the art are included in the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an egg carton utilizing one form of the present locking means;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing the cover of the carton in closed position;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view similar to Figure 2 but showing the carton cover in partially open position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the locking tates Patent ice means, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 but showing the carton in open position;

Figure 5 is a sectional View similar to Figure 4, showing the catch member in locked position;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the body portion of the carton showing in particular the shape of the catch opening, taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 38 of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is an end elevational view of a closed egg carton utilizing a modified form of locking means;

Figure 10 is an end elevational view similar to Figure 9 but showing the cover raised off the carton;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1111 of Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 11 but showing the relative position of the catch members and their openings upon partial closure of the cover;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of the locking means, taken on the line 13-13 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 13 showing the catch member in locked position;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the carton showing the opening for receiving a catch member; and

Figure 16' is a perspective view of the underside of the carton cover showing the catch member projecting therefrom.

Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, there is shown an egg carton having a body section 111 provided with a plurality of egg receiving pockets 11 for receiving and holding eggs E in an upright position. The cover for the body section 10 comprises a hollow structure 12 having sufficient depth to receive the upper portions of eggs which project above the body section 10. The front and rear walls of the cover 12 have inwardly projecting vertical recessed portions 13, Figures 1 and 6, forming outwardly projecting recesses 14 therebetween comprising egg pockets.

The body and cover sections are preferably molded or otherwise formed in one piece in a single operation with the two sections opened out in horizontally aligned position. The molded structure has a rim flange 15, and the two sections are connected by an integral strip of mate rial 16, Figure 2, which is adapted to bend upon itself for forming a hinge 17. The cover 12 can thus be folded into abutting relation with the body section 11 for closing the carton whereupon cover flange 15 overlies and mates with body flange 15, the one flange being a continuation of the other through the interconnecting hinge 17.

Referring to Figures 4-8, the cover 12 is molded or otherwise formed with a pair of upwardly projecting conically shaped recessed portions 20 which form catch members in the form of hollow studs projecting downwardly below the flange 15 of the cover in folded position. As best seen in Figure 6, each of the catch members 20 projects downwardly from the flange 15 between the walls of recess 13 and, as seen in Figure 4, a portion of the wall of each catch member comprises a continuation of the rear wall of recess 13. Catch members 26 have transverse notches or voids 21 disposed immediately beneath the flange 15 of the cover as best shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The flange 15 of the body section 10 is provided with a pair of D-shaped openings or apertures 22 disposed in alignment with the catch members 219 so that said catch members will be movable therethrough when the cover is closed on the body portion. As seen in Figure 7 the openings 22 assume a generally circular configuration except for the front portion thereof which is bounded by a chord 23, the openings 22 being located in the flange 15 of the body portion 10 between the eggrecelvmg pockets 11. The inclined section seen in Figures 4 and 5 and designated by the numeral 25 comprises a top connecting wall portion between adjoining egg pockets 11.

The openings or apertures 22 are of a predetermined size, having a diameter substantially the same as'the major diameter of the catch members 20. The area of each opening 22 is considerably less than the major cross sectional area of a catch member 20, however, by reason of the segmental portion cut off by chord 23, and when a catch member 20 is moved through an opening 22 a portion thereof engages the front wall 23 of the opening and is compressed or deformed. In the lowermost position of a catch member relative to its corresponding. opening 22 the notch 21 moves into horizontal alignment with the rim 15 of the body section whereby the member 20 is permitted to expand substantially to its original shape. The bottom wall of notch 21 is thus engageable with the bottom surface of the flange to prevent relative movement between the two rim portions whereby the cover is firmly locked on the body portion. In passing through the D-shaped opening 22 the wall of projection below notch 21 is subject to compression and deformation, which is sufficiently elastic to return the wall approximately to its original size and shape after the constrictive force is relieved.

When the carton has been closed and the locking means moved to the Figure 5 position there is provided a substantially permanent lock joint between the cover and body sections. It is impossible for the catch member 20 accidentally to move upwardly out of the opening 22 and, in order to open the carton, it is generally easier to tear otf the catch portion 20 rather than deform it to a shape where it will pass upwardly through the opening 22. If it is desired to save the carton and to retain the lock means thereon, or if the interlocking parts are not made of frangible material, the lock means can be opened without damage for subsequent re-use. This is done by pressing the lip edge of notch 21 inwardly (to the right in Figure 5) until it will pass the edge 23 of opening 22.

Referring now to Figures 9-16, a second embodiment of the invention is therein illustrated. In this embodiment there is shown a body section 30 provided with a plurality of egg receiving pockets 31 for receiving and holding eggs E in an upright position. The cover 32 comprises a structure separate from the body section. The cover 32 is hollow in form to receive the upper portions of eggs which project above the body section 30 and the front and rear walls thereof have inwardly projecting recessed portions 33, Figures 11 and 12. Each of the cover and body sections has a rim flange 35 and the flanges are adapted to be disposed in aligned abutting relation when the cover is placed on the carton.

The cover 32 is formed with a plurality of taperedhollow projections 38 which comprise catch members. These catch members project downwardly from the flange 35 of the cover between the walls of the recesses 33, as best seen in Figures 11, 12 and 16, and have transverse notches or voids 39 disposed immediately beneath the flange 35 of the cover. Four of such catch members are illustrated but more or fewer may be provided.

Similar to the first embodiment, the flange 35 of the cover section 32 is provided with a plurality of openings or apertures 42. The openings 42 are D-shaped in configuration, and although these openings may assume other shapes, it is desirable for a proper functioning of this embodiment that they have a straight wall portion 43 on the outside edge which is engageable in notches 39 of the catch'members when the carton is fully'closed. It

is also desirable that the openings be of a size to permit the catch members to move freely therethrough, Figures 13 and 14. The inclined section seen in Figures 13 and 14 and designated by the numeral 45 comprises a top connecting wall portion between adjoining egg pockets 31.

The carton sections are formed so that the transverse distance between openings 42 is less than the transverse distance between the catch members 38, whereby said catch members are off-center from their openings when the carton sections are in alignment. When the cover section is moved into abutting relation with the body section, the front tapered walls of the catch members slidably engage the straight wall portion 43 of the openings 42 as seen in Figure 13 and cause a portion of the front and rear walls of the cover section to spring inwardly toward each other. In the lowermost position of the catch members relative to their openings, the notches 39 are aligned with the rim flange 35 of the body section,30, and the elasticity of the front and rear walls of the cover tends to return the walls to their normal straight line position to move and -hold the notches 39 in engagement with the rim flanges 35. The bottom walls of notches 39 are then engageable with the bottom surface of the body flanges 35 whereby the cover is firmly locked on the body portion.

To remove the cover from the body section, it is necessary only to compress the front and rear walls of the cover section toward each other a sufficient amount so that notchcs 39 are disengaged from the body flange 35. This may-be done with one hand by grasping the cover with the thumb on one wall and the fingers on the other wall and imparting the squeezing action necessary. The cover may then be lifted off, and with this locking arrangement the carton may be opened and closed repeatedly without damaging the locking parts.

There ,is thus illustrated an improved locking means for a container or carton. The carton illustrated herein may take other forms and be made of other suitable materials capable of being molded, pressed or stamped, and in such instance it is only necessary that the body section and cover have a peripheral rim portion or other means to accomplish the formation of the catch memher and receiving opening therefor. Although the catch members have beenvreferred to as being formed integrally with the carton cover and the openings formed in the carton body, these lock portions may effectively be formed in the opposite sections without changing the concept of the invention.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A molded paper pulpcarton comprising a body sectionanda cover section, rim flanges on said sections, a D-shaped opening in one of said flanges, and a hollow conical stud'projecting in a perpendicular direction from the other, flange, in a position to enter said opening, said stud being formed of pulp integral with said other flange and havinga fiat notch at its base adjacent said. flange receiving the straight side of said D-shaped opening, said stud having asdiameter at said notch exceeding the width of said opening and requiring inward deformation of the wall of the stud into the hollow interior of the stud in penetrating said opening sufficiently to engage the straight side of said opening in said notch.

2. Amolded fibrous pulp carton comprising body and cover sections having lip portions adapted to meet and close in a common plane; one of said sections having a tapered integrally molded stud projecting substantially rigidly away'from one of said lip portions on one side of said one section with the axis of said stud approximately-perpendicular tothe meeting plane of said one lip portion; a transverse slot in the wall of said stud extendin-ggeneral-ly parallel with said one side of said one section; the li'p'portion, in the side of the other section corresponding to the side'ofsaid one sectionwith said stud,

having an opening therein for insertion of said stud and having an edge around said opening engageable in said slot; said stud being hollow with the tapered wall thereof adjacent to said slot resiliently deformable to provide for deformation thereof inwardly of said stud providing for the deflection thereof when passing said edge on closure of said cover; and means interconnecting the opposite corresponding sides of said sections in such relative positions that the wall of said stud adjacent to said slot is adapted to be deflected away from said edge when said cover is closed providing for passage of said stud past said edge.

3. A carton as defined in claim 2 wherein said interconnecting means comprises a hinge.

4. A carton as defined in claim 2 wherein said interconnecting means comprises a slotted stud and a lip opening and edge on said opposite side of the carton the same as defined in claim 2 on said one side.

5. A carton as defined in claim 4 wherein said lip edges are around openings in said other section and said openings are larger than said studs.

6. A carton as defined in claim 2 wherein said interconnecting means reacts on said sections to press said stud against said lip edge engageable in said stud slot for holding said lip edge in said slot.

7. A carton as defined in claim 2 wherein said opening is smaller than said stud adjacent to said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,975,129 Sherman Oct. 2, 1934 2,093,280 Koppelman Sept. 14, 1937 2,350,640 Rorke June 6, 1944 2,537,786 Poupitch Jan. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 486,367 Great Britain June 2, 1938 

